Kazakhstan has launched a pilot demonstration project to improve the monitoring of snow and glaciers in mountain areas and the use of these data for hydrological forecasting. The initiative is being implemented under the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Cryosphere Project.

The pilot project will be implemented in the Ulken Almaty and Kishi Almaty river basins. It will adapt the Snow Mapper and Glacier Mapper models, digital tools used to analyze data on snow cover and glaciers. Adapting the models to Kazakhstan’s conditions will support better use of data for the early warning of floods and mudflows.

The project is implemented by the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre in partnership with Kazhydromet, the University of Fribourg and Mountain Futures. The Centre coordinates data collection and digitization, the deployment of monitoring systems at high-altitude pilot sites, and the validation of the Snow Mapper and Glacier Mapper models. Kazhydromet provides hydrometeorological data and contributes to the validation of the snow-cover model. The University of Fribourg provides technical expertise on Glacier Mapper, while Mountain Futures supports the expanded application of Snow Mapper in Kazakhstan.

The project will digitize existing data, expand the ground-based monitoring network, install additional observation systems and develop data-sharing mechanisms among relevant organizations. Particular attention will be given to training specialists to apply the models in practice and use their outputs for hydrological forecasting.

The results of the pilot project may provide a basis for the broader application of these approaches in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. The project also supports the objectives of the Joint Subregional Action Programme by contributing to improved cryosphere monitoring, data exchange, specialist training and stronger early warning systems.